Southampton now keen to hire 37-year-old manager also wanted by Leicester

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Southampton are now interested in hiring Swansea boss Russell Martin – who is also on the shortlist of Leicester.

Both the Saints and the Foxes are preparing for life in the Championship as they find themselves in the Premier League relegation zone with three games remaining.

With Southampton all but relegated – while Leicester still have a fighting chance of survival – Russell Martin is in line to replace Ruben Selles.

What’s the story?

Well – according to talkSPORT – the Englishman has won admirers at Southampton after introducing an attractive style of play to Swansea.

The Swans finished tenth in the Championship this season, but impressed with their free-flowing style.

TalkSPORT’s story comes after The Sun claimed that Martin – who was a target for Watford last year – is also an option for Leicester if the Foxes drop into England’s second tier.

As things stand, Leicester still have a chance of survival as they sit 18th in the Premier League, two points away from safety with three games remaining.

In regards to Southampton – however – the Saints are 20th and eight points adrift of safety, so it would take a miracle for them to avoid relegation.

Southampton or Leicester could hire the new Brendan Rodgers

Interestingly, Martin has been compared to Brendan Rodgers by The Sun.

The 37-year-old is making a name for himself in the world of management at Swansea just like Rodgers did before Liverpool came calling in 2012.

The Northern Irishman received widespread praise for his possession-based style at Swansea, something Martin has also been heralded for in his short managerial career so far.

Martin was in charge of MK Dons before moving to Swansea, where he watched his side score after a 56-pass move, a new British record at the time.

After the 2020/21 campaign ended, statistics showed that only Manchester City and Barcelona had a higher amount of possession on average across Europe than Martin’s MK Dons.

That is quite the achievement, and while some may turn their nose up at Martin, there is no denying that he has the potential to become an outstanding coach one day.